Having established a Dublin headquarters, Citi's Europe, Middle East and Africa operations are well prepared for Brexit. And a strategic overhaul four years ago tightened up its risk management, leaving it leaner and safer, as the US bank's EMEA head, Jim Cowles, tells Stefanie Linhardt.

Diminishing oil receipts, a threat of consolidation, a looming Basel II compliance deadline, a loss of US dollar correspondent banking relationships, a shortage of foreign capital... The challenges facing Angola's banks are many, which makes the strong performances of some in the sector all the more impressive, writes James King.

After contracting in 2016, the Angolan economy is expected to make a slight recovery in line with the improvement in oil prices. However, the government has been slow to deliver the diversification that could improve the country’s fortunes further. James King reports.

In December 2016, Benin announced its economic transformation plan, including 45 flagship projects addressing the major components of the west African country's economy. Six of the projects are specifically focused on constructing a digital economy. Serge Adjovi, director of Benin’s Digital Economy Agency, speaks to Joy Macknight about the laying the foundations for progress.

The 'tuna bond' scandal, donor suspensions, a sharp rise in inflation rates and slower economic growth have made for a difficult operating environment for Mozambique's banks in the past couple of years. However, Peter Wise discovers a sector where optimism very much prevails.

Mozambique is slowly advancing towards financial stability following a period of scandal and currency depreciation. Now it must find the money, and the partners, to help it exploit its abundant gas reserves, writes Peter Wise.

Africa’s Tripartite Free Trade Area would reduce regional tariffs and create a pan-African single market, to aid development and cash in on a growing middle class in the continent. But with member countries often belonging to multiple economic areas, progress is both complex and slow, as Kit Gillet reports.

For the past two years, Mauritius’s central bank has fostered measures to fortify the country's banking sector, which accounts for 12% of its GDP. While reforms are paying off, challenges such as offshore business risk persist and need to be managed, as central bank governor Rameswurlall Basant Roi tells James King.

Careful cost management and diversification have yielded solid profits for Mauritius’s banks. And with the government now focusing on SMEs, many banks are now developing their services for this sector while also expanding their footprint abroad. James King reports.

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